The great wine debate: Corks really are better than screw-tops, Oxford study findsWine traditionalists have long looked down on screw-top bottles, and now an Oxford University study appears to have proved them right - wine really does taste better if it is sealed with a cork.

However, the reason for the improvement is perhaps surprising. The scientists' findings suggest that rather than affecting the flavour or the smell of the wine, it is the sound of the cork that makes the drink taste better.